WOODSTOCK: The 40th Anniversary

The Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, which was held 40 years ago in Bethel, New York, was the embodiment of the peace and hippie movement and provided a triumphant exclamation point for the 1960s. Yes, there were crippling traffic jams and plenty of drugs, nudity, rain and mud. But there was also the music – three days of iconic performances from an unprecedented array of artists, including the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, the Band, Santana, Arlo Guthrie, the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Johnny Winter, Sly and the Family Stone, Joan Baez, Richie Havens and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. This exhibit tells the story of the festival, utilizing a vast array of artifacts from Woodstock executive producer Michael Lang and many of the artists who appeared at the festival. Highlights include the original stage plans, clothing worn by John Sebastian and Stephen Stills, posters, contracts and other key documents.

This exhibit is located in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s Ahmet M. Ertegun Main Exhibit Hall and open to the public on Friday, July 3 until November 29, 2009.